Spray nozzle



Nov. 29, 1932. J. E. HoLvEcK Filed May 9, 1931 33761974 per inc/z /j y;I /g GPM/oer inch I l X rf- 7"- s K- lr-)I 4 x I l 4.5 @IP/*l per inchPatented Nov.l 29, 1932 JOSEPH E. HOL'VECK, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIASPRAY NOZZLE Application filed May 9n 1,931. Serial No. 586,178.

This invention relates to nozzles, and more particularly to a new yandimproved spray nozzle intended primarily for use in the steel industry.

ln the rolling of steel it is necessary to subject the metal to acleaning or de-scaling process between passes. The present custom in theindustry calls for the use of water to perform this function, andaccordingly',

w sharp streams of the liquid are directed against the metal in theprocess of manufacture. Although this method is generally regarded assatisfactory, the manner lin which it is carried out is not, it bein@well known that present apparatus for performing this function isgrossly inefficient. Nozzles now in use are wasteful for both water andpower in that they either direct too great a column against agivensurface, or in attempting to determine the shape of the cleansing streamlose a considerable portion of the water by turning it into anineffective spray which passes off into the air without accomplishingany beneficial purpose whatever.

Tests have shown' that the average nozzle in. present day use in thisfield is only between sixty and seventy percent effective.

lt is with the elimination of these faults, plus the solving of certainproblems centering around the regulationof the quantity of waterdirected upon the metal under a given pressure, that this invention isconcerned. A purpose of this invention is to provide a spray nozzlewhich i-s more effective and k efficient than those now in use `andllinown to A further purpose is to provide a spray nozzle which willdeliver a predetermined fan-shaped stream intact against a givensurface.

A still further purpose is to provide a spray nozzle in which the amountof water directed against a given surface may be positively regulatedwithout varying the presl i5 sure ofthe water so delivered.

.50 larly the 'nozzle disc thereof, the particular `construction andadjustabilit of which conl stitute an essential feature o thisinvention.

In the `accompanying drawing;

Figure` 1 is a sectional view along the line If-I of Fig. 2 showing indetail the construc- 55 tion of the nozzle and nozzle disc. i

Fig. 2 is a in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the nozzle attached to a water supplypipe, and water issuing therefro1n,'the pipe being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a more or'less dia rammatic view showing how the quantity owater directed against agiven surface may be regulated with 65. one sizeof nozzle.

Like numbers-indicate corresponding parts throughout the various figuresof the drawing.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention includes a multi-part nozzleconsisting of a body portion 5, a multi-part disc 6 and means, shown inthe form of a ring nut 7, for removably securing the disc 6 in place on.the body portion..

The Huid delivery passage 5a of the body portion 5 extends from end toend of the body portion, is substantially circular in cross section and,as shown, converges from the inlet toward the outlet end. The disc 6 isa multi- 80 plan view ofthe nozzle shown A 'part disc, and, as shown, isformed of two semi-circular parts. This is for the purpose ofsimplifying the operation of accurately forming the fluid passage 6a,which extends through the disc. 'As shown, the two-part 85 disc issubstantially circular and the line of cleavage between itssemi-circular parts is along one diameter or along a diameteric planepassing through the central axis of the complete disc, so that half ofthe fluid pas- 9 sage 6a may be formed in each semi-circular part. Thispassage is circular at its inlet end and, at that point, is ofsubstantially the same. diameter as the outlet end of the convergingpassage 5a. It, however, changesshape to- 95 ward the outlet end of thedisc, and at that i end terminates in a narrow slit-like aperture ofgreater length than thediameter of the circular inlet end.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that All.

the passage Gais of a different cross sectional shape at all pointsalong its length and that the change from the circular cross section atone end to the slit-like aperture at the other end is relativelygradual. The paswa ge is preferably a converging passage, that is tosay, the circular inlet end is preferably al' greater cross sectionalarea than the slitlike aperture at the outlet end, and this change inarea is also a gradual change. By making the disc 6 in two pieces itispossible to secure the desired degree of accuracy in the shape anddimensions of the passage 6a and the desired degree of finish for itsbound ing surfaces.

As stated, the assembled disc'is substantially circular, however, itsperipheral surface is tapered from a larger diameter at the inlet end toa smaller diameter at the outet end of the disc, so that the disc is, ineffect, a truncated cone. The base of this cone and the contacting faceof the body portion 5 are both accurately machined to substantially truelat surfaces, so as to provide a water tight joint between the disc andthe body portion when the disc is in place on the body portion. In orderto provide a water tight joint between the separate halves of the disc,the adjacent or contacting faces of these halves-i. e., the diametricfacesare also accurately machined so as to provide substantially trueflat surfaces, which are interrupted by the grooves which cooperate toform the passage 6a, and which are exactly at right angles to the baseportion of each half.

With the construction above described, the operation ofI assembling thenozzle is relatively simple. The 'separate halves of the disc are placedtogether to form an assem' bled disc, and are located in place on theend of the body portion 5 with the base of the disc in contact with theplane surface at the outlet end of the portion -5. The ring nut is thenscrewed to place on the body and functions to hold the disc in placethereon andl also to hold the separate halves of the disc in contactwith each other. As shown, the

ring nut is provided with internal threadsv which, however, do notextend throughout the full length of the nut. The unthreaded portion ofthe nut is provided with a re-entrant annular lian e 7', which isadapted to engage the tapere peripheral surface of the disc 6 and is soformed that its inner peripheral ed e is tapered to Ycorrespond to theta er o the disc.

he outlet end of the body portion is threaded, as shown at 8 in Fig. 1,for the urpose of receiving the ring nut, and the dy portion is alsoprovided with threads 9 at the inlet end for e purpose of screwing itinto a threaded aperture of a supply pipe or for the purpose ofotherwise connecting .i it to piping constituting a source of supply.

These screw threads are preferably tapered threads. The intermediateportion of the body is shown of hexagonal shape; this is merely for theJpurpose of facilltating the application of a wrench to the body in theoperation of connecting it to piping or to such other source of fluidsupply as may be employed. For the same purpose the ring nut is providedwith a hexagonal exterior surface. v

Throughout the foregoing description I' have employed the term fluid inits broadest sense, i. e., to include liquids, but it will be apparentthat with the contemplated use of the nozzle, the passages 5a and 6awill deliver a liquid, such as water. It is essential that thesepassages be accurately formed in order to maintain the continuity of thestream traversing them and in order also to change the shape of thestream without creating eddy currents or other disturbances within thestream. It is therefore highly. desirable that the passage 6a beaccurately formed so that its inlet end will accurately register withthe outlet end of the passage 5a of the body when the disc is in placeon the body, and so that the adjacent edges of the disc and the body donot occasion an interruption to the continuity of the passage, whichwill disturb the flow through the cornbined passages. Where the passages5a, and 6a are accurately located with relation to the parts in whichthey are formed and where those parts are also accurately machined, thering nut 7 will function as a centering device for the disc and insureproper relationship between the passages 5a and 6a for' all positions ofthe disc with relation to the central axisl of the body portion.

The nozzle disc herein is especially constructed 'to meet the needpreviously discussed of directing an effective stream of water of givenshape upon a surface to be cleaned or descaled. This is accomplished byconstructing the nozzle disc with such a gradual changin section as tokeep the iuid stream intact an thereby produce a fan-like jet, givingthe greatest possible impinging force upon the surface to be cleaned.

Figure 3 shows the nozzle attached to a water supply pipe 9 by beingscrewed into a threaded aperture 10 formed in the ipe. Employing anozzle disc with an en slit 3/64 x 1/2, a jet havin an included angle of41 giving a 9 sprea 12 from the nozzle is developed. It might also beremarked that the body and ring nut of the nozzle are preferably made ofrustless steel and the nozzle disc is preferably made of tool steelhardened to approximately 550 Brinell. It is intended that a pluralityof the nozzles herein shall be mounted on supply pipes lat a determinedspacing so as to supply water for the purpose indicated in the quantityrequired by the particular circumstances.

lin Fig. 4 l have diagrammatically illustrated a method of varying theeffective spraying force by varying the spacing of the nozzles and theangle at which the jets of liquid are directed. In the illustration lhave shown the nozzles at various spacings and with their discs turnedat various angles for the purpose of illustrating hovv the effectivenessof the liquid can be varied in spraying a strip of material 11 movingpast the nozzles. If We assume that each nozzle is capable of delivering27 gallons per minute to the strip 11 moving in the direction of thearrows in Fig. 4, and that the spread of each jet is 9 inches at thestrip, then by spacing the nozzles 9 inches apart and by so turning thenozzle discs that the slit-like apertures thereof are in line, or arelocated at right angles to the direction of travel of the strip, asillustrated at Afin-Fig 4, then 3 gallons per minute will be deliveredto each inch of width of the moving strip. If the nozzles are spaced 8inches apart 'andthe apertures are turned to an angle, su'ch`-." asshown at B in Fig. 4, so that the effective force of the various spraysdo not overlap on the moving strip, then the strip will in effectreceive 3.37 gallons per minute per inch of width. If, however, thenozzles are spaced 6 inches apart and vtheir slit-like apertures areturned to an angle, such as illustrated at D in Fig. 4, then thedistribution of Water from the jets across the strip will equal 4.5gallons per minute per inch of strip.

It should be noted that'lines in Figure 4 indicate the spread of the jetat the plane of the surface of the moving strip 11. llt will also beapparent that Where a jet is projected, for example, vertically onto thesurface of the strip and the nozzle disc is turned so that the fan-likejet occupies the position, with relation to the direction of movement ofthe strip, illustrated in Fig. 4, that then the impingement onto thesurface of the strip will be at the rate of 3 gallons per minute perinch et width of the strip. If, however, the disc of this single nozzleis turned, for example, te the position shown at'D, the fan-like jetwill not act on as great a Width of the moving strip as under theconditions illustrated at A in Fig. 4. It is therefore apparent that:the jet, positioned as shown at D, will have he effect of delivering agreater volume of 'Water per inch of Width of. the moving strip than thesame nozzle will deliver under eX- actly the same pressure conditions ifthe disc isturned to the position illustrated at A in Fromthe foregoingit will be apparent that the effectiveness of the jets ma in this way bevaried without varying the head or pressure of the liquid jets closer toor farther from the strip to be sprayed, and without varying the angleof impingement of the jet on the surface of the ymade most effective foror without moving thestrip and that b merely varying the spacing of tlienozzles dhd by turning the slit-'like apertures of the nozzles todifferent positions, the spraying effect on a continually moving stripmay not only be varied, but be varied in a predetermined Way.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the effectiveness of thenozzle, or of a series of nozzles may be varied 'by merely loosening thering nut 7 and adjusting the disc 6 to the proper angular relation tothe material to be sprayed. lt will also be apparent that by properlydesigning the Huid passage through the nozzle and particularly thepassage 6a in the disc, each nozzle may be the particular hydraulicpneumatic conditions encountered. That is to say, each nozzle may bedesigned so as to give the highest efficiency under the pressureencountered with each particular fiuid. For example, I have found that anozzle such as here illustrated and described Will deliver an eectivejet, having a 9 incli spread 12 inches from the tip of the nozzle whenoperating under a pressure of 1,000 pounds per inch, and that thecontinuity of the fan-shaped jet will be maintained for at least 12inches from the tip Without breaking up into a spray and without'theformation of vapor or mist at any point along the jet. For the reasonsabove set forth, each nozzle may be made highly effective by properlydesigning its fluid passages for the conditions encountered or bylitting the body portion with a properly formed disc for the conditionsencountered a-nd by then adjusting the disc so as to obtain the desireddelivery per inch of Width of material sprayed as set forth inconnection with-the disclosure of Fig. 4.

Tests have shown that nozzles embodying the characterizing features ofVmy invention f herein described have an energy coeilicient, that is theratio between the impinging force of the spray and the theoreticalenergy, of approximately 92% a late at right angles to the jet.

n accordance With the requirements of the patent statutes ll havedescribed what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of myinvention, various changes, modifications, additions and omissions maybe made to the apparatus herein illustrated and described withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by theappended claims.

Whatll claim is:

l. A nozzle comprising a body havin a Huid passage circular in sectionextendmg theret rough and of gradually reducing area from the inlet tothe outlet two-part disc forming a tip for said nozzle and having afluid passage formed in the parts thereof conver 'ng from a circularmlet end of substantie size as the outlet .end of' when directed againstbut it will be apparent that end thereof, a

the same shape and thev passage .1n said body to a rectangular slit atthe orifice, and means for removably securing the parts of the disc onthe outlet end of said body to align the passages therein, the passagein the body of said nozzle being of much greater length than the passagein the tip to produce a solid jet or spray having its maximum impingingforce at a point spaced from the orifice.

2. A spray nozzle comprising a body having a fluid delivery passageformed therein substantially circular in section and tapering from theinlet to the delivery end' thereof, a disc having afluid assagetherethrough converging from a circular inlet end of substantially thesame shape and size as the outlet of the passage in the body to arectangular slit of greater length than the greatest diameter of thesaid passage, and means for removably securing said disc to said body,the passage in said body being of much greater length than the passagein said disc to produce a solid jet or spray having its maximumimpinging force at a point spaced from the rectangular slit in saiddisc.

3. A spray nozzle comprising a relatively long body having a fluiddelivery passage extending therethrough substantially circular insection and of gradually reducing area from the inlet end to thedelivery end thereof, and a vrelatively thin disc removably secured tothe end of said body and having a fluid delivery passage thereinconverging from a circular inlet end of substantially the same shape andsize as the delivery end of the passageway in said body toa rectangularslit at the orifice to produce a solid jet or spray having vits maximumim inging force at a point spaced from the ori ce.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th dayof April, 1931.

JOSEPH E. HOLVECK.

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